Share This Story!

President Trump acknowledged a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels on Thursday, but said a non-disclosure agreement was "used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair." His statements contradicted his previous denials.

The former New York Mayor, who recently joined Trump's legal team, directly contradicted the president's claim that he had no knowledge of Michael Cohen's decision to pay Stormy Daniels $130,000.
USA TODAY

President Trump arrives to present Mandy Manning, a teacher at the Newcomer Center at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., with the National Teacher of the Year award during a reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, May 2, 2018.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster, AP)

WASHINGTON — Changing his story, President Trump acknowledged a $130,000 payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels on Thursday, but said a non-disclosure agreement was "used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair."

Contradicting previous statements that he knew nothing about any sort of payment, Trump tweeted that these agreements are "very common among celebrities and people of wealth."

The president also tweeted that campaign funds "played no roll in this transaction" — misspelling the term "role" — though some legal analysts said the previously unreported payment could be considered an in-kind political contribution subject to federal law.

Trump's revelation on Twitter came the morning after his attorney, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, said the president repaid his personal attorney Michael Cohen for money given to Daniels.

Mr. Cohen, an attorney, received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA. These agreements are.....

...very common among celebrities and people of wealth. In this case it is in full force and effect and will be used in Arbitration for damages against Ms. Clifford (Daniels). The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair,......

...despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair. Prior to its violation by Ms. Clifford and her attorney, this was a private agreement. Money from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll in this transaction.

While Trump and Giuliani stressed that the Daniels money came from personal funds, legal analysts said it could be considered an in-kind campaign political contribution because it came right before the election. That would make it subject to campaign finance laws, and Trump's team never reported the payment.

"If any person, including a relative or friend of the candidate, gives or loans the candidate money 'for the purpose of influencing any election for federal office,' the funds are not considered personal funds of the candidate even if they are given to the candidate directly. Instead, the gift or loan is considered a contribution from the donor to the campaign, subject to the per-election limit and reportable by the campaign."

Giuliani, appearing Thursday on Fox & Friends, to discuss the non-disclosure agreement, said: “Imagine if that came out on October 15, 2016, in the middle of the last debate with Hillary Clinton?"

Later, in an appearance on Fox Business Network, Giuliani said, "this was never about the campaign. This was about personal reputation. The money wasn’t paid to help the campaign or hurt the campaign."

Daniels' attorney Michael Avenatti, meanwhile, took to Twitter to mock both Trump and Giuliani for helping his client make her case.

"Whatever happens @foxandfriends, please do not stop helping our case week in and week out by having Mr. Trump and Mr. Giuliani appear and make damaging stmts," Avenatti tweeted. "You are truly THE BEST; where can we send the gift basket? #basta"

The non-disclosure agreement and the secret payment came just days before the 2016 presidential election that Trump won.

Trump tweeted about the Daniels case just hours before hosting a National Day of Prayer event at the White House.

In his tweet storm, Trump said Cohen was paid a monthly retainer, and that money was used to enter into the non-disclosure agreement with Daniels.

"The agreement was used to stop the false and extortionist accusations made by her about an affair, despite already having signed a detailed letter admitting that there was no affair," Trump tweeted.

The president's tweets contained legalese and showed signs of assistance from a lawyer.

Back on April 5, he denied knowing about the $130,000 payment to Daniels, telling reporters aboard Air Force One: "You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You’ll have to ask Michael."

After Giuliani discussed the payments on Fox News, Avenatti called the new admission "a stunning revelation."

"Mr. Trump evidently has participated in a felony and there must be serious consequences for his conduct and his lies and deception to the American people," Avenatti told the Associated Press.

Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

This image released by ABC shows adult film actress Stormy Daniels, left, with her attorney Michael Avenatti during an appearance on the daytime talk show "The View," on April 17, 2018, in New York.
HEIDI GUTMAN, ABC VIA AP

Daniels released a composite sketch on April 17, 2018, of the man she says threatened her in a Las Vegas parking lot to stay quiet about her past sexual tryst with President Donald Trump. Avenatti says they are offering $100,000 for information leading to the man's identification.
HEIDI GUTMAN, ABC VIA AP

Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels speaks outside US Federal Court with her lawyer Michael Avenatti (R) in Lower Manhattan, New York on April 16, 2018.
Stormy Daniels, the porn star who claims to have had a consensual sexual encounter with Donald Trump a decade ago, said April 17, 2018 that she is pursuing legal action against the president because she is "done being bullied.""I'm tired of being threatened, intimidating me, and trying to say that you'll ruin my life and take all my money and my house," Daniels said on ABC's "The View.""I'm done being bullied," Daniels said of legal threats from Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen, who is now embroiled in his own legal troubles."I'm done," Daniels said.
EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ, AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In this courtroom sketch, Joanna Hendon, right, one of President Donald Trump's lawyers, speaks as the president's personal attorney Michael Cohen, left, sits next to one of his own attorneys Todd Harrison, center, with porn star Stormy Daniels visible in the audience between Cohen and Harrison, during a federal court hearing in New York, April 16, 2018. Attorneys for Cohen and Trump tried to persuade U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood to delay prosecutors from examining records and electronic devices seized in the raids on the grounds that many of them are protected by attorney-client privilege.
ELIZABETH WILLIAMS VIA AP

This cover image released by Penthouse shows Stormy Daniels gracing their May-June 2018 issue, hitting newsstands on May 8. Daniels, whose legal name is Stephanie Clifford, says she had sex once with Trump in 2006 and that Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, paid her $130,000 days before the 2016 election for her silence.
PENTHOUSE VIA AP

This image released by CBS News shows Stormy Daniels, left, during an interview with Anderson Cooper which will air on March 25, 2018, on "60 Minutes." Stephanie Clifford, who uses the stage name Stormy Daniels, claims to have had an affair with President Trump and has filed a suit against him in an attempt to nullify a nondisclosure deal with Trump attorney Michael Cohen days before Trump's 2016 presidential victory.
CBS News/60 Minutes via AP

In this image from video, Michael Avenatti, attorney and spokesperson for adult film star Stormy Daniels, listens to a reporters' question during an interview at The Associated Press, March 21, 2018, in New York.
Joe Frederick, AP

A sign for Ultra Gentlemen's Club across the street from Trump International Golf Club reads 'Stormy Daniels Making America Horny Again, April 13-14' is seen from President Trump's Motorcade in West Palm Beach, Fla. on Feb. 18, 2018, as it departs back to Mar-a-Lago.
Andrew Harnik, AP

Michael Cohen, an attorney for Donald Trump, arrives in Trump Tower in New York on Dec. 16, 2016. Stormy Daniels, the porn star whom President Donald Trump's personal attorney acknowledged paying $130,000 just before Election Day, believes she is now free to discuss her alleged sexual encounter with Trump, her manager xtold The Associated Press Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, believes that Cohen invalidated a non-disclosure agreement after two news stories: One, in which Cohen told The New York Times that he made the six-figure payment with his personal funds, and another in the Daily Beast, which reported that Cohen was shopping a book proposal that would touch on Daniels' story, said the manager, Gina Rodriguez.
Richard Drew, AP

Sen. Jim Dabakis, D-Salt Lake City, speaks on the Senate floor at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City on Jan. 21, 2018. Utah Democrats are pushing back on a proposal to rename a scenic highway after President Donald Trump, with one saying he'd suggest naming a frontage road after porn star Stormy Daniels. Dabakis tweeted that he'd suggest an amendment naming a frontage road after Daniels, who alleges she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.
Rick Bowmer, AP

Avenatti told MSNBC that Giuliani confirmed that Trump and his team have been lying about the agreement with Daniels.

"This is consistent with what we have been saying now for months," Avenatti said. "It ultimately was going to be proven, it ultimately was going to come out, we just didn't know that Rudy Giuliani was going to go on the Sean Hannity show and admit it on national television."

Daniels, who says she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006, filed a lawsuit against the president Monday, saying Trump defamed her when he described her claim as a "con job."

Daniels is also suing Cohen, but a federal judge granted a 90-day delay in that lawsuit last week due to concerns that Cohen may face criminal charges after FBI agents raided his home, hotel room and law offices as part of a fraud investigation.

Avenatti, appearing again Thursday on MSNBC, made a stark prediction about Trump's future: “This president will not serve out his time. I guarantee it."

CLOSE

The porn actress alleging a sexual encounter with President Donald Trump is escalating her legal fight, suing the president for defamation. AP reporter Catherine Lucey explains. (April 30)
AP